Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-27
RAILROADS. AND Politics.
Senator Eu.Ier Comucnds the Ad.
nninistrati0n and Criticises
the Railroads.

Senator Eu.Icr Commcnds the Adj
rninistrati0n and Criticises
the Railroads.
Washington star. 26th.l
A star reporter encountered Senator
Bntler in the city to-day. and he wa'
severely criticising the management Of
the Virginia Midland railroad, the basi:
of bis criticism being the recent acct
dent near Orange Courthouse.
"Were you on the train, General %
inquired the star reporter.
"YCs; ard the accident resulted
from the most inexeusable criminal
carolessness. We had a very, ccry mar
row escape from terrible disaster"
"What appeared to be the cause y
Well, ! do not know with certainty.
Ii occurred between two telegraph sta
tiOus, within half mile of one at
Orange Courthouse and five or six
miles from another at Rapidan station,
between and O'Clock III the morn
ing. in broad daylight. The train
from the White Sulphur Springs. on
which i was n passenger. ran into a
freight train coming up from Rapidan
station, both moving on the same track
in opposite directions. OF course
the fault will be charged to some
subordinate, but nobody is to
blame but the railroad authorities
themselves. The passengers ought to
have been forwarded in at least three
hours whereas we were kept there
nine or ten hours, without the slightest
regard for our comfort or convenience. I"
"Were there any casualties?"
"The fireman and engineer OF the
freight train were injured, the former,
| learned, very seriously. Our engi-
neer of the passenger train saved him
self 10y jumping from his engine before
the collision"
"To what do you attribute these fire.
quent railroad accidents ?"
"Well, I think there are several
causes. In the first place, too much
red tape in the so-called system manage
ment. The responsible management is
too far removed from the operations,
and have not sufficient familiarity with
the employees or conditions. In the
second place, railroad companies,
many of them, work their employees
TO death on inadequate pay. Some plan
ought to he devised which would
prevent any com any from working
lis employees more than twelve hours
consccutivcly. Some of them, learn,
run thor engineers, firemen. and con-
ductors sixteen or seventeen hours
const cutively without intermis5ion
fer resting. Human nature can't stand
il. The result is, the poor man goes
to sloep on duty, and when an accident
occurs is made the scapegoat. 1t is
inhuman and wrong, and railroad au-
tborities ought to be held to a stricter
accountability"
"What remedy would you suggest 2"
81 have not thought of one. | OPP
posed and voted against the interstate
commerce bill because, among other
reasons, / thought, and still think, Con-
gress has no jurisdiction; bat il we are
to have the law it might as well be made
useful and of some benefit, and / am
not sure if an amendment to that law
might not be framed which would ac-
complish a great good by simply
making it a penal offence for any
railroad company to require more
than ten or twelve hours cOh-
sccutive work from any en-
ployeos engaged IN running trains.
Too many lives are at stake to allow
such parsimoniousness toward those
operatives who have their lives in their
keeping. OF course, railroad accidents
are unavoidable in many cases, but this
one near Orange Coul thouse was wholly
without Oxcuse, and would never have
happened under efficient and proper
management. l presume one or two
employees will be discharged and the
entire blame laid on them, and that is
about the only satisfaction that will be
attempted to be vouchsafed."
Senator Butler Was very emphatic IN
the opinion that the inter State law
should be amended so as to protect the
travelling public against reckless and
careless management Of railroads.
"Ihe Government" he said, "regu-
lates steamboat travel, prescribing how
many passengers a vessel may carry
and other regulations, and as long as
we have the Interstate law we might
as well make it protect the passengers
OF railroads." The Senator remarked
that he would at the coming session of
Congress offer an amendment to the
Interstate bill so as to provide for pro-
lection of the travelling public.
PRESIDENT cLEvELAND's STRENGTH IN
THE SOUTH.
The conversation turned into po-
litical channel, and Senator Butler,
speaking of President Cleveland, said
that his denomination next year by the
National Democratic Convention is GER
tam if the President lives. "Why,
there is but one sentiment in the
party" he continued, land that is in
support of the President. The grum-
Llcrs are too few to amount to any
thing. The South is solid for Cleve-
land, and he will be reelected. In
my opinion Blaine will be the Re-
publican nominee and Cleveland will
defeat him again. 1.-THE present general
prosperity continues until the next
presidential election there is no telling
what the vote for Cleveland will be,
Cleveland's great strength lies in the
confidence the business interests have
in him. He is safe, conservative, and
cautious. All classes of businessmen,
including farmers, feel that he is a safe
man at the head of the Government
and they will continue him there.
was recently in party of northern cap
italists-all Republicans-and though
We did not talk politics they let fal
| complimentary remarks about this Adj
ministration. Now, while such mel
might not vote for him, they perhaps
would not vote against him. Their ex
pressions indicate a negative force tina
would count at the polls"
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